Pretend Play - Play a Spring Flower Garden - Busy Bag

Let the pretend play take over with this flower garden busy activity. 

My girls love planting their own flower garden. 

I got all the items from the Dollar Store in the garden section.

The green foam block is in the craft section.

 I trimmed the sticks a bit as they are really long.  

Children should be supervised as the sticks can be poke them. 

Big and Little Letter Matching - Plus Counting Activity

Make this super fun big and little letter matching activity with items from the Dollar Store!

In the teachers section I found these paper cut outs.  

They also had a bee with honey and a mouse with cheese. cute!!

 I just used the scissors and put a slice down the middle.

Carefully, pulled them apart.

 I put the big letter on the frog and little letter on the lily pad.

 You need to buy three packets to complete the alphabet.  

That will give you 10 extra to make a set of numbers to match too!

Busy Bag - Hexi Cards - Free Printable

I found this free printable activity from Pickle Bums today.

I was hoping to find an activity for the girls while I worked around the house this morning and my husband is working on our taxes.  

I printed out three copies on cardstock and cut them out.  

click here to get your free printable from Pickle Bums here

1) Print

 2) Cut

 3) Let them Create

4) Store in a baggie for the next time!

Busy Bag Swap - 15 Awesome ideas

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a local busy bag swap.

What is a Busy Bag?

A busy bag is an activity that fits in a plastic ziploc bag.

All the items needed for the activity are included in the bag. 

They are easy to store, grab and go.  Then when your child is done, it goes right back in the bag.
Super easy to store.  

I keep most of our "busy bag" activities in totes that I call our "busy boxes"  

What is a Busy Bag Swap?

A group of moms(and dads) each pick one "busy bag" to make for everyone in the group.  

Our group had 15 moms participating, so I made 15 bags.

Then you get together and exchange all of your bags and you go home with one of each activity from the other moms (or dads).  

I was so excited to go through all the bags. 

The moms who participated did such an amazing job making them.

 

*links to templates, etc at the bottom of the post*

1) Clothespin Letter/Number Matching

 2) Pipe Cleaner Sorting

3) & 4) Discovery Bottle and Sensory Bag

Junebug went right for the sensory bag and Snowflake the discovery bottle!

5) Bean Sorting

6) Shoe Tying Practice

7)  Paper Clip Color Matching

8) Numbers Flip Book

9) Craft Stick Puzzle

10) Measure it

11) Roll - A - Cise
Such a fun idea!!!

 12) Color Shade Matching

 13) Alphabet Exercise Cards

14) Yarn and Sandpaper

15) Magnetic Faces

I can't wait to cut out these funny faces.  I know my girls are going to love this activity! 

 Pipe Cleaner Matching - Cody and Chelsea Groves

Number Flip Book - Second Story Window

Clothespin Matching

Color Matching with Paint Chips - Shannon's Tot School

Magnetic Silly Faces - Planet of the Apels

Shoe Tie Practice 

Roll - A - Cise

Alphabet Exercise Cards

Yarn and Sandpaper

Gel Sensory Bag or Gel Writer Bag - Babblin Brooke

Worm Pick Up - Babblin Brooke

Egg Carton Bean Sorting - Walking by the way

 Measure it - Walking by the way

Paint Chips and Paper Clips - Second Story Window

Busy Boxes

Yesterday I posted a pictures of how our homeschool area is set up.

Today I have pictures of what I keep in our "busy boxes"

You will be surprised at how many activities you can fit into a small space! 

  Bible Busy Box 
All our Christian themed books

 I found these bible playing cards at the Dollar Store.

The Veggie Tales manner cards are from the $1 bins at Target.

I-Spy Busy Box

I-Spy Bottles 

I-Spy books - I got these at a garage sale

Alphabet Busy Boxes

Alphabet Books

 Leap Frog - Phonics

 Boggle Jr.

Big/Little Letter Matching with plastic eggs

Spelling Bee book - from second hand store

 Dollar Store puzzles

 Dollar Store Puzzle

Kumon wipe/erase letters (big and little)

Sesame Street Fun with Letters (dry erase book)

Alphabet wheels from Confessions of a Homeschooler

 Numbers Busy Box

Number Puzzle

Books

Sesame Street Fun with Numbers (dry erase book)

Counting with plastic eggs

Number Threading - Snake

 Miscellaneous 

Colors, Shapes, etc.

This is where I keep all of our "busy bags"

 Looks like a lot, but it all fits in one medium sized tote! 

The girls can access them whenever the want.

Busy Bag - Writing Practice

Not all busy bags need to be created with craft supplies or printed and laminated.  Using things you all ready have around the house and keeping them in a bag to use on the go or when a child is looking for something new to do is perfect too!

I put our Kumon Write & Wipe flashcards in a pencil bag.  We have the big & little letters (sold separately) and the shapes.  What I love about the Kumon Write & Wipe flashcards is they are laminated (only on one side though) and they come with a dry-erase pen that includes an eraser.

I used to have them in the bag as is and the cards would be everywhere.  So, today I hole-punched them and put a ring on them so they are like a book.

Before I hole-punched them:

After! 

The letters and shape cards (and pen) fit in a pencil bag that can be thrown into a purse or diaper bag.